1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety device for ensuring safety of an operator in an automatic machine system in which operation is carried out on objects in a plurality of operating areas by using an automatic machine such as a robot and the operator feeds the objects into each of the operating areas from a preparing area adjacent to each of the operating areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
When operation is carried out on objects by using an automatic machine such as a robot, operating areas where the automatic machine carries out operation are provided near the automatic machine in a system, the objects are prepared in preparing areas adjacent to the operating areas, and an operator feeds the objects into the respective operating areas in many cases. In such a system, needless to say, an operator takes care not to enter the operating area during operation of the automatic machine. However, an operator may, through careless, enter the operating area where the automatic machine is carrying out the operation.
Therefore, conventionally, in order to ensure safety of an operator, a method in which operation of the automatic machine is stopped automatically every time the operator enters the operating area and the operation is started again after the operator leaves the operating area, has been employed widely (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-146977, for example). In this method, however, operation has to be stopped frequently for feeding the objects and therefore the method is not efficient. There is also a method in which the objects are fed into each of the operating areas by using a turn table, a slide, or the like instead of feeding the objects by an operator. However, extra devices are necessary for the turn table or the slide and for controlling them.